Assam-Meghalaya dispute set to be resolved
Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma will meet Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday. During the meeting, the leaders will submit their recommendations to resolve the decades-old border disputes between both northeastern states. The meeting will be held in Delhi after 6pm, Sangma said on Wednesday while speaking to reporters.
Total Views |
New Delhi, Jan 20: The Assam-Meghalaya border dispute is an age-old question that has haunted the people of those states as well as the Indian government. Finally, after decades of deliberations, it seems that both the states, as well as the central government, have reached an agreement to end this dispute.
_202201201158208404_H@@IGHT_0_W@@IDTH_600.jpg "Assam Meghalaya")
Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma will meet Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday. During the meeting, the leaders will submit their recommendations to resolve the decades-old border disputes between both northeastern states. The meeting will be held in Delhi after 6pm, Sangma said on Wednesday while speaking to reporters.
In the weekly #AssamCabinet meeting held at Haflong, we took several key decisions regarding bringing solution to Assam-Meghalaya border dispute, Amendment to Medical Service Rules, Autonomous Council Election Rules, wildlife preservation in Barak Valley, etc. pic.twitter.com/pIXnNlb0ss
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 19, 2022
"We will be submitting more or less a common report and then I think the Government of India has to move according to the laws," he also said, as per a PTI report.
The recommendations of the regional committees of Meghalaya and those of the Assam government will be given to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for further actions, he further informed.
The Assam and Meghalaya cabinets have approved a ‘give-and-take’ formula to resolve the five-decade-old border dispute between the two states. In the first phase, issues of six of the 12 disputed areas will be resolved. The six areas that will be taken up for final settlement in the first phase are Hahim, Gizang, Tarabari, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pilingkata and Ratacherra.
The other six areas, where the disputes are more complicated, would be taken up later. As per the plan, the boundary demarcation is expected to be done after the due procedure in Parliament. The Survey of India will also be roped in for necessary inspections.
In 1972, Meghalaya was carved out of Assam and both states share a 733-km boundary. Over the years, the two neighboring states have witnessed several skirmishes between various communities inhabiting the border areas.
This year on January 21, Meghalaya will celebrate its 50th formation day and the governments of both states are trying to forge an understanding on the dispute before the golden jubilee celebrations.